Preview/Prediction

The wait is over: Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Said to be made from the rib of Nolan Ryan, the 21-year-old Washington Nationals right-hander is already the stuff of legend (or at least 2010 hype), even though his 100 mph fastball has yet to cross a major league plate.

So what should we expect?

# 1 Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper

If there is one thing that the 2010 season has shown the city of Baltimore, it is that the rebuilding process is far from over.

The Orioles need help in just about every facet of the game and since they can't dump money on veterans like the Red Sox or Yankees, the draft is where they can add talent.

While baseball prospects take a few years to grow (this is why the minors are called 'farm systems'), the products can be just as effective.

Just look at the Tampa Bay Rays and all they accomplish.

While the MLB Amateur Draft doesn't get as much attention as those of the NFL and NBA, that doesn't mean that it's any less important. Cheap, young talent is the most valuable commodity in baseball and can help close the revenue gap between some teams.

The Sox own the 13th pick in the draft, which starts on Monday. While they won't get a sure-fire impact player at their pick, there are a number of players that could make a difference in a few years.

I made a couple of assumptions in cutting down to this short list.

1) The Sox will take a college player.

When and if Carlos Beltran returns this season, The New York Mets will have to decide what to do with Angel Pagan.

Pagan has been starting in CF for the majority of the season in place of the injured Beltran.

What started out as just a temporary fix has now turned into a future conflict.

The San Diego Padres are not only in first place in the National League West at 31-20, but they also have the best record in the National League by a full game over the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

It's not exactly where most people and experts thought they would be at this point in the season. Yet, the Padres have gone from potential cellar dwellers and "sellers" at the trade deadline to buyers and possibly being able to take on salary above their $38 million payroll.

Imagine if fans cast their All Star votes with the intention of actually picking the most deserving players.

How would things be different?

The All Star game has become a popularity contest.

After one of their worst losses in recent history, the Mets will hand the ball to their right-handed ace Mike Pelfrey tonight, looking for a rebound against the Padres. Pelfrey has not been Ubaldo Jimenez so far this season, but 7-1, 2.54 ERA isn't too shabby.

The Mets really need to start winning some road games this season. Their road record of 7-17 is dreadful, and if they can't win a couple with Pelfrey and Johan Santana on the mound, then something is up.

After a trip that didn't really go the way the Mets had hoped in Milwaukee, they will now play three at the National League's best team (record-wise), the San Diego Padres.

No, that's not a typo, the San Diego Padres at 30-20 own the NL's best record and are tied with the Cardinals for the lowest team ERA in baseball at 2.95.